Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 19:34

On Friday, the anti-war group Vote Vets put out an ad in Maine that harshly criticized Republican Sen. Susan Collins' support of the war. The spot, which had $200,000 behind it and was narrated by a veteran, hit the Senator for being complicit in the wasting of federal dollars and lives in Iraq.

"Sen. Susan Collins just stood by and let all of this happen, and still is," says Iraq War veteran Alex Cornell du Houx. "I gave 100 percent in Iraq. I can't afford to give Iraq any more. Call Susan Collins and tell her we want our money back."...

"As the target of weeks of relentless false and negative attacks aired on TV and radio by allies of Senator Collins, Tom Allen knows that distortions such as these ads have no place in this race," said Carol Andrews, Allen's communications director. "Congressman Allen is the candidate in this race who three months ago set a standard for positive communications pleas from third parties. He asked Senator Collins to join him in that effort. That request was refused."

I didn't like Tom Allen when he went after bloggers in 2005. He's part of that wanker class. I hope he defeats Susan Collins and would vote for him if given the opportunity, but I can see why Maine voters wouldn't want to put him in the Senate.

this isn't the reason they don't want Allen in the Senate, Susan Collins is. She and Snowe are so amazingly popular, no matter what you try to say about them, no one believes it.

Allen can do one of two things, he can either run way to the left, which would probably excite the left, and lose, or he can run to the middle, make himself out to be the anti-war Susan Collins, and lose.

The only way to win here is to bring down Collins' favorabilities and tie her to the national Republican Party. If you've ever been to Maine, you'd know doing that is no easier than teaching a brick wall to dance. Collins needs to do something to break her trust with Maine voters, like a scandal or something.

That said, I don't know what Allen is doing here except he's given up here and is trying to keep his favorabilities up to prep himself for a future statewide run.

Least not the ones I've been calling. But she's our Senator. You've seen her posters? "Susan Collins: Our Senator." That's her selling point. She's the senator. Even if you don't like her, you can't disagree with that.

Allen doesn't appear to want this enough. He should be attacking her relentlessly. She's a proven liar. She gave Maine a promise, and she lied outright. (Term limits.) She voted with Allen 80% of the time.

Frankly, there are some personal issued I wouldn't mind seen raised from people who have the standing to do so, but I don't.

I've sent a little money to Larry LaRocco in Idaho, Andrew Rice in Oklahoma twice, Rick Noriega in Texas three times, Jim Slattery in Kansas, and Jim Martin in Georgia -- not to mention half a dozen candidates for the House. (I'm glad the Visa bill only comes once a month.) But I don't have 2 cents for Tom Allen.

You can write all about him, but please don't ask me to help fund him. There are too many others, too many longshots with a better shot at it than he's got. (Yes, Larry LaRocco and Rick Noriega and Jim Allen have a better shot. See the Senate rankings of FiveThirtyEight where Allen helps to bring up the rear.)